'Goin' up to the spirit in the sky'

Saturday

Jul 27, 2013 at 12:01 AM

HAVEN - David Richardson was a man of many talents.

But, it was the bucket truck and tree trimming skills that endeared him to his future wife's family.

Back when Richardson was courting Rhonda Blocker, he came out to her parent's farm with a borrowed bucket truck and tree trimming equipment and trimmed a bunch of trees. After all the work, Richardson was hot and sweaty and headed home.

"Mom was disappointed she didn't get to talk to him," said Richardson's son Marcus.

David Richardson, 56, died July 20 at his home with his family by his side.

"He was the man to go to," said Marcus. "He got things done and they always got done better than you would have thought they could."

For instance, when the parishioners of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Haven decided they wanted to build a fellowship hall, kitchen and youth group area onto the church, it was Richardson who took the reins. He was the contractor and organized the expansion that was known as the Lighthouse because its goal was to bring people together and congregate at the church. Laborers of Christ came and helped with the project.

In the end, the fellowship hall was where Richardson's funeral dinner was held. The church had become the center of the Richardsons' world. It's where Rhonda and David were married in 1979. He was baptized in the church two months after they were married there. And then a year later he was confirmed at the church.

When Richardson's sons were young their first job was mowing at the church.

"Dad did all the work and we got all the money," Marcus said.

He was the father who always listened, not only to those he was working with, but also his family.

"He taught us the value of working hard and being true to your word," Marcus said. "The only thing you have ultimate control over is your word."

There were times when the truth was painful. For instance, when he told Rhonda her hair looked out of sorts.

Along with Rhonda and Marcus, David is survived by two other children, Mike and Julie Richardson, and two grandchildren.

For 16 years David was known around the countryside around Haven as the propane deliveryman with the Mid Kansas Co-op.

"That's how he got his foot in the door with construction," Marcus said.

But, even back then he was doing construction as a side business. Eventually he was able to start Dave Richardson Construction and Richardson Tree Service. His favorite construction work was restoring old barns around the area.

During the Haven Fall Festival, Richardson would sponsor the ping pong ball drop from the 60-foot bucket truck and dump the numbered ping balls. He gave away wagons and bicycles to winning children.

Richardson's faith was solid and helped him deal with two different bouts of cancer in a lung and his brain. But a third time cancer reappeared, this time on his spinal cord, it wasn't possible to survive.

He never complained.

"He was such a strong man," Marcus said, and was at peace in the last days. "He wasn't scared of death."

His favorite song was, "Spirit in the Sky," by Norman Greenbaum.

"When I die and they lay me to rest, gonna go to the place that's the best. When I lay me down to die

Goin' up to the spirit in the sky."

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